Exposé
by MercuryPilgrim
Summary: Daniel, needing a little help in translating some interesting riddles on an uncovered tablet, calls in a specialist from Cairo. One Dr. Marik Ishtar.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Yu Gi Oh!, Stargate SG! or any of their affiliates. Anything that you recognise is property of its respective owners. Any relations to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

_Base/s:_ Yu Gi Oh! & Stargate SG1

_Title:_ Exposé

_Summary:_ Daniel, needing a little help in translating some interesting riddles on an uncovered tablet, calls in a specialist from Cairo. One Dr. Marik Ishtar. No slash.

_Music used for inspiration:_ My Prerogative – Britney Spears (No, I don't know why either),

A/N: This begins sometime after 'Message in a Bottle' (Season 2) but before 'Family'.

* * *

><p>"I can't do it."<p>

Jack blinked.

Daniel ran a frustrated hand through his messy hair. He was pointedly _not_ looking at his superior officer.

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? Did I just hear what I think I did?" he asked, not entirely sure.

The archaeologist shot him a dark look and leaned back in his chair, his hands over his face.

"I. Can't. Do. It." He enunciated clearly, apparently less than pleased at his own failings.

Jack turned on his swivel chair to fully face his teammate.

"Why? This is like, your _thing._"

Daniel sighed and righted himself, shooting the offending tablet a dirty look.

"It's just that while the hyroglyphs are usually easy enough to translate, this is like a completely different language!" he rubbed the bridge of his nose while Jack listened. "Imagine this," Daniel started, gesturing with his hands. "It's like English and Old English. They're almost totally different from one another. And I've never even _heard_ of this before." He took of his glasses and cleaned them absently, staring at the tablet as though it would up and translate itself for him.

Jack nodded.

"So you don't know what it says?" he prodded uncertainly.

"No Jack," Daniel sighed. "I don't know what it says."

Jack frowned. The tablet was apparently important. It had been behind some of the most elaborate traps he, or any one of his team, had seen. They'd picked it up on a desolate planet a few days ago and Daniel had been bid to translate it. The planet, a windswept desert, had apparently been a base of some minor Goa'uld Jack couldn't remember the name of. The carvings on the walls indicated that the crumbling ruin they had been in was relatively recent, only about two thousand or so years old.

He stood up and stretched, yawning.

"Get some sleep," he said, making for the door. "You might have better luck tomorrow."

Daniel nodded, his face downcast. In all his many years experience of studying ancient artefacts, and translating scriptures, he'd never come across something that couldn't be solved with liberal applications of time and coffee. He sighed.

Stupid tablet.

* * *

><p>Tomorrow came and tomorrow went. Daniel still couldn't decipher the tablet. He'd called in Teal'c who had confessed he knew nothing of the words either. Daniel was close to pulling his hair out in frustration.<p>

He had contemplated calling a friend or two to help, but without knowing what was on the tablet, he couldn't take the risk of something sensitive being revealed.

The General was still pushing for him to translate it, but he was all out of ideas.

So, when he dragged his feet to the next meeting, his arms full of messy notes and bags under his eyes he resigned himself to giving bad news.

"So, you still don't know what it says?"

A vein in the archaeologists eye twitched.

"No, I don't."

Jack sat back, apparently satisfied.

General Hammond broke in.

"Doctor Jackson," he started, "Are you sure you can't translate that tablet?"

Daniel sighed.

"General, I've been working on it for fifteen hours a day for the past week. So no, I don't think I can." He responded, wincing at how snippy he sounded, and rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Sam voiced her opinion.

"What makes this one so hard?" she asked.

"This is like a completely different dialect. I've never seen it before."

She made a face and nodded.

Hammond frowned.

"We need that tablet translated. Is it possible for you to contact outside help on this one?"

Daniel shook his head.

"If we did, we'd have to be absolutely sure of their co-operation. Seeing as we don't know what it says, it might contain senseti-" he paused as he had a brainwave.

Jack raised an eyebrow and waved a hand in front of the archaeologists face.

"Daniel...?" he ventured.

Daniel swatted the hand out of the way and turned to the general with a faint smile on his face.

"Sir, I've just had an idea." He said, barely containing his glee.

The General motioned for him to continue, an interested expression on his face. Sam was hiding a small smile behind a hand and Teal'c was looking faintly amused.

"There _is_ someone who might be able to help us." Daniel said quickly. "I met him when I was in Egypt a couple of years ago. I'd never met anyone who knew more about ancient Egyptian culture and tradition, needless to say, we bonded over ancient scriptures." He said dryly and Jack snorted.

"Is he trustworthy?" Hammond asked seriously.

Daniel bit his lip.

"I don't know. When we met, it was a couple of years ago and while we became friends..." he trailed off.

"You didn't really know each other that well." Sam finished. The other nodded.

Teal'c put forward his opinion.

"This tablet may contain secrets of the Goa'uld, it would be wise to procure assistance in its translation." He said, looking at the General.

Sam shrugged.

"If it's as important as everyone says it is, it might be wise." She said. "besides, Daniel is overworked as it is. We might be able to convince this guy to stay on permanently."

As the archaeologist tried to protest, she levelled him with a look.

"I've seen your office." She reminded and he paused, conceding the point.

Jack was more cautious.

"I gotta say, I don't like the idea of revealing the program to a civilian." He said cautiously.

General Hammons nodded, understanding where he came from.

"Doctor Jackson, see what you can pull up on your friend. If he checks out, well, we'll see where it goes from there." He looked each of the team in the eye.

"Dismissed."

* * *

><p>There was a soft knock on the door. Marik scowled as he perused the paper in front of him. He had to physically stop himself from nibbling on his pen, he was trying to stop the habit.<p>

"Come in." He ordered, not bothering to look up. His secretary opened the door and walked up to his desk, her heels clicking on the wooden floor.

"Doctor Ishtar?" she ventured, her voice professional and clipped.

Marik looked up irritably.

"_Yes?_"

She ignored his tone and set down a sheaf of papers on his desk.

"Someone is running checks on you." She informed him bluntly. He raised an eyebrow. She continued. "They're pulling all information they can on you. Birth records, medical records, _everything._"

He set down his pen and leaned back, surprised.

"Do we know who it is?" he asked.

His secretary's face didn't change from it's stony mask as she answered.

"One Doctor Daniel Jackson."

Marik wracked his brain for the name and after a few moments, remembered. He was about to speak when the girl in front of him continued.

"However," she said, a tiny smirk appearing on her painted lips. "I did some digging and I found something interesting. He's going through American government channels."

Marik raised both his brows in surprise.

"The American government? What do they want with me?" he wondered. He frowned.

"Sabah." He called and the girl turned her head in his direction, awaiting his request. "Do some more digging. I want to know exactly who is looking for me and why."

His secretary nodded curtly and made to leave.

"Oh, and Sabah?" he called as she was about to leave. She turned. "Be discreet."

She nodded, that upturn of her lips making her expression sharp.

"Always sir."

* * *

><p>Marik frowned as he dialled a number in his phone and waited for his sister to pick up. He remembered Daniel, he'd rather liked the American archaeologist when they'd met. Marik had been working towards his doctorate and Daniel had been there for a conference. The younger had been interested in the archaeologists theories on the pyramids. He hadn't believed them, but to Daniel's surprise, he hadn't labelled him a complete nut job. He had of course, no idea this was because of Marik's own little secrets. But that was years ago. They had kept in contact with a few e-mails now and then, save for one year in which he'd dropped off the face of the earth for some reason, and they'd pretty much kept contact.<p>

He was jerked out of his memories when he heard his sisters voice on the other end of the phone.

"Ishizu." He greeted and smiled when he heard her exclamation.

"Marik! I haven't heard from you in ages!" she admonished and he could hear her tutting in the background.

"I've been busy." He said, not expanding. He heard her sigh.

"The University still boring?" she asked sympathetically.

"As hell."

She snorted, making the speaker crackle.

"Poor you. Now, I'm sure you didn't just call to catch up with your sister. What do you need?" she asked, sighing. He could hear the smile in voice though.

He allowed himself his own little smile.

"I was wondering if I would speak to Seto."

Marik could practically _hear_ the raised eyebrow on the other side of the phone.

"Oh? So you're more interested in speaking with my husband than your own sister?"

"Right now? Yes."

She laughed.

"Typical. Alright, I'll pass you over." She said and he heard the familiar click of being patched through to another number.

"Seto Kaiba." Came the curt voice from the other end.

"Hello Seto, thank my sister for passing me over would you?" Marik greeted.

He heard Seto sigh.

"What do you want Ishtar?" he demanded. "I'm a busy man."

Marik gave a small laugh.

"Aren't we all? I need you to help me with something."

On his end, Seto narrowed his eyes.

"It's not illegal is it?"

Marik chuckled.

"No, no. Not really." He reassured. "But would you really care if it was?"

"I suppose not. It's too much to ask for you to go on the straight and narrow." Kaiba admitted. "So, what is it? Bear in mind I haven't said yes yet."

"I need you to find me some information on someone."

He heard Seto sigh.

"I thought _you_ were the one who's supposed to provide information for _me."_ He said.

"I am. But like I said, I'm _very_ busy and I need this done well."

"You still haven't told me what you need done yet." Seto noted, shrewd as ever.

"I'm looking for information on one Doctor Daniel Jackson. Age thirty three, born July 8th 1965, American, archaeologist." Marik responded, easily rattling off the information.

"Oh? And what has this poor sod done to warrant your attention?"

"He's somewhat of a friend." Marik admitted. "But he'd been checking up on me."

"I see." He heard Seto say before he continued. "But what makes him special?"

"He's using government channels."

That got the CEO's attention.

"What? Are you sure?" he questioned.

"Of course I'm sure." Marik snapped.

He could almost hear Seto smirking.

"Temper temper. Why can't _you_ do this?"

"_Because_ while I have my contacts in America, none of them have same political muscle you do. Or the hacking expertise." Marik admitted.

While America was by no means a blind spot for him, Marik had to admit that his hacking skills were no match for the CEO of Kaiba Corp's.

"Consider it payment for that incident in Quatar." He sweetened the deal. He smirked when he heard Kaiba curse softly on the other end of the line.

"Fine. But remember, we're even now." Seto growled before slamming the phone down, effectively ending the call.

Marik chuckled and put the phone down. He stood and walked over to the window, looking out over Cairo.

Sighing, he made his way back to his desk and the mountain of papers sitting there. Ignoring them, he booted up his laptop that sat, half buried by paper, and trawled through his e-mails while he waited for his secretary and Kaiba to dig something up.

* * *

><p>Daniel hurried towards the briefing, weaving in and out of people in the hallways, careful not to drop the stack of paper he was carrying.<p>

Swerving out of the way of Sergeant Harriman, he entered the briefing room and set down his load. The rest of his team, plus the General, were already there.

Muttering a quick apology for his lateness, he set up his presentation.

Picking up the top sheet, he began.

"I managed to dig up some information. It was surprisingly difficult, even with what I already know." He admitted. "Right. Dr. Marik Ishtar Ph.D, Egyptian national, born on December 23rd 1975. There's almost nothing on his early life save for his birth record, but what I can find says that his mother died on the day he was born. The only records of his father are birth and death records, he died about twelve years later. He drops off the grid until about sixteen years later when he pops up in Domino City, Japan where he took part in the Battle City Duellist Tournament under an alias, got to the final too." He read, which earned raised eyebrows.

Duel Monsters was a very popular game, not so much in America, but they'd at least heard of it. Getting to the final, they also knew, was no mean feat.

Daniel continued. "It seems he flew back to Egypt with his sister, who'd also participated..." he skimmed the rest, murmuring. "Ishizu Kaiba nee Ishtar, married Seto Kaiba CEO of KaibaCorp three years ago, it's interesting to note. He graduated from Cairo University with top honours in ancient linguistics, went on to work for the university doing research on ancient Egyptian artefacts..."

"Sounds boring." Jack commented.

Daniel ignored him. He fished out a specific paper from the pile and looked it over.

"However, I did find something I think you'll find very interesting. The Ishtar family is rumoured to be a family of tomb keepers."

Sam raised an eyebrow.

"Tomb keepers? In this day and age?" she asked sceptically.

Daniel shrugged.

"It's nothing concrete, but..." he trailed off.

Hammond nodded, his brow creased.

"It's enough to warrant investigation." He completed. The archaeologist nodded.

The General was silent for a moment before coming to a decision. He turned to the archaeologist.

"Contact him, try to find anything we can use. If you feel he's trustworthy, bring him in. I'll make it so that we don't have any trouble from the Egyptian government." He ordered firmly.

Daniel nodded.

"I'll get right on it."

"Dismissed."

* * *

><p>Marik skimmed through the information that his secretary had sent to him. Most of it he already knew but a few titbits reminded him why he kept her around. Other than her ability to make good coffee.<p>

The e-mail from Seto however had proved much more fruitful. After scrolling past the rant about how hard it was to get, he greedily consumed the information.

Dr. Jackson was indeed on the government payroll. At first glance, he was working in Cheyanne mountain, where they did something with deep space radar telemetry. Marik scoffed. And he was the Easter bunny.

Seto, in his nigh on infinite resources, had only managed to figure out the name of the top secret operation.

Apparently, the mountain was the base for something called 'Stargate Command'.

Unfortunately, that was where the information stopped. There was nothing about anything relating to the program _anywhere._ Marik had pulled most of his contacts up but they'd found nothing. He was officially intrigued.

Marik typed his reply. He thanked the CEO and sent along a few bytes of info that Seto had requested. The funds would be transferred to his account via electronic transfer sometime later. Seto was lucky he trusted him, Marik usually insisted on a down payment.

If there was one thing Marik hated more than losing, it was not knowing something. A scowl creased his brow and he took a sip of the steaming coffee in his mug. Still looking at the computer screen.

He briefly thought of e-mailing Dr. Jackson, but quickly dismissed the idea. It wouldn't do to have Daniel know he was onto him, especially if he had government connections.

So Marik would wait. He'd trained himself to be patient after all. He'd get his answer in a few days.

* * *

><p>Sender: <em>d. jackson _ work '' googlemail . com<em>

To:_ m. ishtar _ cairouni '' hotmail . com_

Attachments: _excerpt-no# 7869 . pdf_

Subject: _How's it going?_

_Marik,_

_We haven't spoken in far too long, how's everything going? Are you still working at the University? I hope you'll forgive me but I had a bit of a snoop and saw your book isn't out yet. Are you _still_ writing that thing?_

_I don't envy you with all that paperwork, but I do envy your location! Colorado Springs isn't the most interesting of places to be studying 'rocks', as one of my co-workers calls them. Say, you wouldn't happen to be one another one of your business trips to the US would you? Specifically in the Colorado area? Do tell if you are planning to fly by, and we can arrange a meeting. E-mails are so impersonal._

_Say 'hi' to your sister for me!_

_Daniel_

_P.S Have fun with the puzzle attached! I must admit, it gave me hell trying to figure it out. Seven hours._

* * *

><p>Sender: <em>m. ishtar _ cairouni '' hotmail . com<em>

To: _d. jackson _ work '' googlemail . com_

Attachments: _6784 - J76 . pdf_

Subject: _Re:_ _How's it going?_

_Daniel,_

_It was pleasant finally hearing from you; I was almost thinking you'd dropped off the face of the earth._

_The University is still as dull as ever, although I'm trying to find ways of keeping myself occupied. And yes, I am still working on my book. We can't all write, edit and publish our masterpieces in a year or two now can we? _

_On a side note, I enjoyed the puzzle you sent in your last e-mail. And I smashed your time. Seven hours? Just who do you think you're talking to? _

_If you were in my shoes, you'd be begging for Colorado. Actually no, that's a lie to make you feel better. I'd much rather be where I am than where you are, doing whatever it is that you do. And on that note, I am indeed planning to fly into Denver on the fifth. I would very much like to meet up face to face, if only to personally share how badly your record was pulverized. Are you free on the seventh? I'll be busy on the sixth, so I'm afraid I can't entertain you then._

_Ishizu is happy to hear from you and wishes for you to, and I quote: 'Forcibly drag that brother of mine to have some fun and extract the stick from his ass.' I believe she was particularly vexed that I'd interrupted 'alone time' with her husband to ask for a response. And for the record? I'm perfectly happy with the stick where it is thank you very much, and I'd mention that my brother in law's stick far eclipses my own, yet she has no problem with its presence._

_All the best,_

_Marik_

_P.S. Three hours._

* * *

><p>Sender: <em>d. jackson _ work '' googlemail . com<em>

To: _m. ishtar _ cairouni '' hotmail . com_

Attachments: _excerpt-no# 9874 . pdf_

Subject: Re (2): _How's it going?_

_Marik, _

_Wonderful, I'll meet you at the train station at about one? We can find somewhere to have lunch and bond over ancient scriptures._

_I'm sure the stick is fine where it is, and as I haven't met your brother in law, I can't comment._

_Three hours? It was close, but I made two and a generous half._

_See you on the seventh,_

_Daniel_

_P.S. Four hours for this one, I think you'll like it._

* * *

><p>Sender: <em>m. ishtar _ cairouni '' hotmail . com<em>

To: _d. jackson _ work '' googlemail . com_

Attachments:_ 2126 - C19 . pdf_

Subject: _Re (3):_ _How's it going?_

_Daniel,_

_You don't need to have met my brother in law to sense the stick, it resonates to all who have ever been graced with his esteemed presence. Or seen him on a television screen. Or seen a photo of him. Etcetera, etcetera, I could go on._

_Two hours and a generous half? My, my, you are getting slow. _

_I'll be at the train station at one as ordered sir. I suppose I've changed, although you're unlikely to miss me._

_Forty minutes. What's wrong with you?_

_Marik_

_P.S. One and a half hours. It's my speciality after all._

* * *

><p>Sender: <em>d. jackson _ work '' <em>_googlemail . com_

To: _m. ishtar _ cairouni '' hotmail . com_

Attachments: _excerpt-no# 9864 . pdf_

Subject: Re (4): _How's it going?_

_Marik, _

_If I had any doubts as the identity of the man on the other side of the screen, they've been erased. Only you could be so malicious towards family. And I know what you're going to say so, yes it is a talent._

_I didn't quite make it. Three hours. I _must_ be getting slow. _

_How on earth did you do that last one in forty minutes? That's got be impossible!_

_Daniel_

_P.S. Two days._

* * *

><p>Sender: <em>m. ishtar _ cairouni '' hotmail . com<em>

To: _d. jackson _ work '' __googlemail . com_

Attachments: _5492 - H69 . pdf_

Subject: _Re (5):_ _How's it going?_

_Daniel,_

_You know me too well, you're getting old and pure, natural talent._

_With ten minutes to spare,_

_Marik_

_P.S. Nine hours._

* * *

><p>Daniel sighed as he finished reading the last e-mail. He felt slightly guilty for misleading his friend, but brushed it aside.<p>

He got up and stretched before printing the e-mails and setting off for the briefing room.

Walking in and sitting down to expectant faces, he spoke.

"He's coming."

* * *

><p><em>End Chapter<em>

_Oh yeah, this is gonna be a monster. I hope. It's obviously a little AU, but I tried to keep it as canon as I could. Other Yu Gi Oh! Character may pop in from time to time, but they likely wont have a major role._

_Damn fanfic . net keeps censoring my clever fake e-mail adresses. That's annoying. Like, REALLY annoying. The 'at' symbol is illegal in any shape or form. Somehow. :(_

_I haven't been getting many reviews for my stories lately for some reason, so I'm hoping to make up for it with this one!_

_So please, review!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: _I do not own Yu Gi Oh!, Stargate SG! or any of their affiliates. Anything that you recognise is property of its respective owners. Any relations to persons living or dead are purely coincidental.

_Base/s:_ Yu Gi Oh! & Stargate SG1

_Title:_ Exposé

_Summary:_ Daniel, needing a little help in translating some interesting riddles on an uncovered tablet, calls in a specialist from Cairo. One Dr. Marik Ishtar. No slash.

_Music used for inspiration:_ My Prerogative – Britney Spears (No, I don't know why either),

A/N: This begins sometime after 'Message in a Bottle' (Season 2) but before 'Family'.

* * *

><p>Marik stared out of the window of the jet he was in, a cup of coffee in one hand. Taking an idle sip, he watched the clouds below as they skimmed over them, cruising at thirty five thousand feet. He always enjoyed flying, especially when he wasn't flying economy.<p>

Hearing the familiar rattle of the hostess making her way up the aisle, he drained the last of his coffee and when she passed, handed her the empty cup, which she took with a smile.

Already turning and not paying attention to her, he resumed his staring out of the window.

Tapping his fingers softly on his knee, he sighed. He wasn't really flying to Denver on a business trip, unless you counted fishing for information. Information _was_ his business, and he was damn good at it, if he did say so himself.

His foot nudged his briefcase in which he carried printouts of the e-mails Daniel had sent him, more specifically, the 'puzzles' that had been attached. He'd recognised the excerpts immediately. It was the same language that was printed on the bottom of the Egyptian God Cards, the same that only his family and a scarce few others could read. He'd translated it immediately, and had lied about how long it took him on the e-mails. The scripts themselves were rather mundane, speaking about the glory of this and that and the wonder of the gods. But that Jackson had got his hands on even a small amount of the sacred text... it definitely bore investigating.

Shifting in his seat as he heard the intercom chime and a voice ring out, telling him that they were about to start the decent, he rested his elbow on the arm rest and let a tiny smirk cross his features. He always did love a challenge.

* * *

><p>Daniel was currently sitting in the Generals office, Jack sitting, slouched, next to him.<p>

"So he's coming then?" the Colonel asked.

Daniel sighed.

"Yes, I arranged a meeting for the seventh." He said.

Jack nodded approvingly.

"Good, you want bugs?" he asked.

The archaeologist shook his head.

"No, I don't think that'll be necessary." He was about to go on, when he was cut off by the Generals voice, who had just entered the room.

"I'm afraid it might be." He said, his tone serious.

Daniel was surprised, Jack raised an eyebrow. The General continued without being prompted.

"It seems Dr. Ishtar isn't quite as clean as we'd thought." He said. "Someone's been running checks on you Dr. Jackson."

Daniel looked nonplussed.

"Me? Why?"

Hammond sighed.

"When you did your digging, you used government channels. It seems Dr. Ishtar found out that someone was running background checks on him and called in a few favours. It seems paranoid but..." he trailed off.

"It's likely because he's got something to hide." Jack finished.

Hammond nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. It seems one Seto Kaiba has been throwing some serious political weight. Seto Kaiba, CEO of KaibaCorp and coincidentally, Dr. Ishtar's brother in law. Not only him, but another anonymous source was also poking around. They didn't find much, but they were obviously good at their job. We only found out about Kaiba because of a CIA informant happened to stumble across some electronic money trails before they were covered up. I got some people to dig deeper and it seems there has been a history of transactions between Mr. Kaiba and Dr. Ishtar. Our good doctor, it seems, is a little more than just a researcher."

While Daniel was still stupefied, Jack broke in.

"What kind of transactions?" he asked seriously.

"We're not sure," the General admitted, "But it does seem that they aren't limited to just Mr. Kaiba. Some very important people have been in contact with Dr. Ishtar. Several intelligence agents from various countries including the US, one or two undesirables and, most worryingly, some _very_ high ranking officials in the Egyptian, Russian, British and American governments. We're not sure what he deals in, but this is getting messier by the minute."

Daniel cut in.

"You still want me to meet with him?" he asked, defensive, trying to think the best of his friend.

Hammond stilled before nodding slowly.

"So far, while he's a potential security risk..."

"The benefits outweigh the risks." Jack finished.

"Exactly. Now, when I said I could placate the Egyptian government, it seems I underestimated the good doctors influence. Apparently, the Egyptians are very fond of him."

"I wonder why? He seems like a regular hero." The Colonel commented dryly.

Hammond and Daniel ignored him.

"You'll go ahead and meet with him, but we're going to have to be extra careful. With all the recourses Dr. Ishtar seems to have, it would be unwise to bug the place. Civilians and all. While we're unsure of what he knows, it's best to err on the side of caution."

Daniel nodded stiffly, displeased at the opinions on his friend.

"Dismissed."

* * *

><p>Marik walked out of the hotel he'd checked into the evening before and relished the breeze on his skin.<p>

Checking his watch and making his way towards his desired destination, he kept a reassuring grasp on the briefcase in his hand.

It was pleasantly warm out, and he used one hand to unbutton the top button of his shirt as he walked. It always threw him for a loop when he went somewhere with such a different climate from Egypt.

Reaching the car park, he unlocked the hire car he'd picked up the day before and got in, firing up the engine and reversing onto the road.

It took him about twenty minutes to reach his destination, and turning off for the generous driveway, he slowed the car, pulling up outside a modest house surrounded by trees.

Grabbing his ever present briefcase, he made for the front door. Ringing the bell, he waited for a response. Soon enough, he heard shuffling footsteps that heralded the approach of the owner.

The front door was opened and Marik was face to face with a rotund middle aged woman, dressed in an apron. Flyaway hair streaked with grey was pulled back into a bun at the back of her head, and she absently brushed escaped strands from her face.

She looked at him uncomprehendingly for a few moments before her face broke into a wide smile.

"Dr. Ishtar! How wonderful to see you again, it's been a while hasn't it?" she greeted and pulled the door wider.

He gave a brief smile.

"Mrs. Benson." He acknowledged. "Is your husband around? I have a little business to discuss."

She chivvied him through into the kitchen where he could make out the figure of Mr. Benson sitting with his back to the house in the garden.

"Of course, of course. I don't know _what_ you two talk about so secretively." she said, shaking her head. "Well, it's none of my business. He's just through in the garden, I'll bring you something to drink. Coffee?"

He answered her absently, still looking out of the window.

"Please."

She nodded decisively and bustled off to make it. He weaved his way through furniture and out onto the patio of the garden, where an older man was reclining in a chair.

As Marik approached, he turned and his eyes widened and then narrowed.

"Ishtar." He greeted neutrally.

"John." Marik responded with a small upturn to the corner of his mouth. He sat down uninvited and set his briefcase down on the flagstones beside him. He relaxed in his chair.

John Benson scowled as he looked at the man opposite him. He looked much the same as he always had, wearing the suit and unbuttoned shirt like most other people would wear a t-shirt and jeans. As a former military man, John knew how to deal with bluntness and straightforwardness. But Marik Ishtar, he knew, was more than the suit, that behind the silk and pretty eyes and smooth words there was a steel that John could respect.

"So, what the hell do you want?"

Even if he didn't like it.

Marik smiled again, apparently serene.

"I know you don't appreciate indirectness, so I'll be blunt." He said, pausing for a moment as Mrs. Benson returned with a tray of coffee. She set it down and gave the two a beaming smile, before bustling off back to the house. Before she went, Marik thanked her, watching carefully as John's eyes narrowed. "Cheyenne Mountain," he said and watched as the older man stiffened. "I want to know what's going on in there."

John shifted uncomfortably and his eyes flickered to Marik, who was casually sipping from his cup of coffee.

"Cheyenne? Deep space radar telemetry I believe." He said nonchalantly.

"Oh come now John," Marik scolded, reclining in his chair. "Let's not play these games."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you don't. But hypothetically, if you did..." he trailed off.

John scowled.

"I wouldn't be able to tell you anything."

Marik sighed and steepled his fingers.

"Wouldn't you? Because as much as I dislike these unpleasantaries, you do seem to insist."

John gritted his teeth.

"There are some things that I can't speak about." He growled, his muscles tensing.

The blonde waved an indolent hand.

"I know that. All I'm asking is whatever you can tell me."

The former soldier was quiet for a moment before speaking.

"As I'm sure you know, it ain't 'deep space radar telemetry' they do in there." He began. "I don't know what it is, but odd things happen around that mountain."

He shook his head.

"If it were something as mundane as radar telemetry, would they really have security so damn tight? No way in hell. But like I said, that place is abnormal."

Marik's eyes had a hungry look in them as he leaned forward.

"Go on."

* * *

><p>Daniel tapped his foot impatiently as he waited, leaning on a wall outside the train station. He was slightly early and had been waiting a good few minutes. His eyes restlessly scanned the crowds of people looking for a familiar flash of light sandy blonde.<p>

He absently checked his watch for however many times on so many minutes. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, blowing out through pursed lips.

"Sleeping Dr. Jackson? You _must_ be overworked."

Daniels eyes snapped open and caught with amused lavender.

"Marik?" he muttered. He was rewarded by a snort and a raised eyebrow.

"Who _else_ would I be?"

Daniel allowed a grin to stretch across his face. Having met Marik Ishtar, you were certainly not going to forget him any time soon. He studied his friend. He looked the same as he always seemed to, save being a little older. The golden jewellery he wore in his ears caught the sunlight when he moved.

Daniel shrugged happily.

"I don't know. It's good to see you again." He said warmly and saw a small smile cross his companions face.

"You too Daniel. Now, what do you say we find somewhere to eat?" the blonde asked, turning to face the open street. Daniel stuffed his hands into his pockets and took a step away from the wall, still grinning.

"You read my mind."

Marik only smiled, a glimmer in his violet eyes.

As they sat outside a small café, drinks in front of them and feeling pleasantly full of food, Daniel fidgeted. He was happy to see his friend again, but unsure as to how to go about prying information from him. He wasn't particularly worried about surveillance, as the General had had the place discreetly swept for bugs before they had arrived and had cleared out any personnel who might have been conspicuous.

Marik looked over the rim of his cup as the archaeologist reached for his own glass.

He wanted to sigh. Daniel Jackson, while a friend, was certainly not cut out for the espionage gig. He did a quick mental calculation and decided on his plan of action.

Daniel spoke first.

"So, how's life been treating you?" he asked, then internally winced at how utterly lame his small talk was.

Marik set his cup down on its saucer carefully.

"I'm content, although the university is boring me. How about you? You dropped off the face of the earth a while ago, I couldn't contact you." He said, slightly reprimanding at the end.

He raised an eyebrow as the archaeologist choked on his drink.

"Sorry," Daniel apologised embarrassedly, "I was off on a dig in the middle of nowhere."

"I see. You're lucky, I was stuck in my office at the university bored out of my mind." Marik mentioned, his brow furrowing into a discontented frown.

Daniel huffed, "You have your own office now? _Someone's_ doing well for himself."

The blonde chuckled.

"I think they just wanted me out of the way of their precious, impressionable little students."

The archaeologist grinned, relaxing into the flow of the conversation. He reached down for the bag he'd brought with him and pulled out a messy folder from within. Opening it and sifting through its contents, he pulled a paper out.

"Actually," he began, "I have an ulterior motive here."

Marik cocked his head to one side, wondering if Daniel was really going to divulge everything there and then. Thankfully for Marik's paranoia, he didn't.

"You remember those puzzles I sent you?" the brunette asked, sliding a paper across the table. Marik moved his coffee cup out of the way and skimmed over the words. "In truth, they were from a tablet I found a while back. I couldn't translate it, so who better than you to help me?" he said winningly.

The Egyptian gave him a look.

"Why not just _ask?_"

Daniel looked slightly embarrassed.

"I, um, didn't really want to admit to not being able to translate the thing…" he trailed off, hoping the other would buy it.

Marik snorted, not looking up.

Daniel continued talking.

"So I wondered if you would come to where I work and help me out, it's kind of important and-"

He was cut off.

"Daniel." Marik said, sounding probing, "You work at Cheyenne am I correct?"

The archaeologist nodded warily.

"So what would an archaeologist be doing working in a place that deals with 'deep space radar telemetry'?" he asked, looking out under hooded eyelids.

"I'm in a different wing." Was the quick reply.

Marik sighed. He carefully set down the paper and looked his friend in the eye.

"I understand the secrecy, really I do. But using a friend of mine to get to me? I expected that."

Daniel blinked.

"What do you mea-"

Marik smirked and wagged a finger at the archaeologist.

"I mean that _I_ know _you _know all about me, and that _you_ know _I_ know all about you." His smile widened.

Daniel opened his mouth to play confused but thought better and closed it, fixing the blonde across from him with a piercing, searching look.

"I see." He said neutrally.

"I haven't said I _won't_ help you," Marik said lightly, "But I would very much like to know why you were digging so deeply into my life."

Daniel sighed and rubbed his temples. This was getting messy.

"Your help _is_ needed," he explained, treading lightly, "But it's a little bigger than just my own curiosity. We needed to know if we can trust you."

Marik grinned.

"Oh, now _that_ depends on what exactly you wish to divulge."

Daniel frowned.

"I'm sure. However, I can't tell you here and now obviously, we're a little… exposed." He finished delicately.

"I understand." Marik said, leaning back lazily in his chair.

"I mean it. This information is very dangerous, and-" Daniel was cut off as the blonde chuckled.

"I _know._ Information _is_ my business after all." Marik reassured, amused and half exasperated.

Daniel sighed.

"I suppose it is. What I want to know is why I never knew about this." He said, giving the Egyptian a look. It was returned with an amused raising of an eyebrow.

"Oh? And how would that conversation have gone? 'Hello Daniel, how was your last dig? By the way, I buy and sell secrets. How's the weather over there?'" He said, sarcasm heavy in his words.

The archaeologist gave a small smile.

"Fair point." He sobered. "To be frank, all I need to know is that if we bring you in, you're not going to sell _this_ secret."

Marik's smile dropped from his lips.

"Let me tell you something." He said seriously, pinning the older man with his stare. "A good information broker knows when to start talking, but a better information broker knows when to keep his mouth shut. I like to class myself in the latter category."

Daniel sighed again, looking searchingly at the other.

"But how do we _know?_ It's bad enough bringing a civilian in, but a secrets trader? That's just _asking_ for trouble."

Marik wasn't amused.

"_If_ you'd read my file," he snapped, "and I'm sure you have, you would know I have a good reputation. Hell, your own government has used my services from time to time, although they don't like outsourcing very much. I am not going to put your oh so precious secret on the market to the highest bidder, I know better than that. For one, I don't want an enemy of the United States government. I'm not stupid. And two, I happen to rather like you Daniel, and I would rather we _stayed_ friends." He finished, his brow furrowed.

The archaeologist winced slightly and nodded.

"You're right, I understand. You get where I'm coming from though right? If it were anyone else…" he trailed off.

Marik nodded, his ire slowly evaporating.

"Yes. You wouldn't even be having this conversation." The corner of his mouth lifted and he pushed the almost forgotten paper back towards its owner. He stood fluidly and looked down at the older man. "Tell your people that I'd be willing to help. I must admit, you've intrigued me. I assume you'll want to usual cloak and dagger routine? On your turf?"

"I keep forgetting you're used to this." Daniel muttered as he stood.

Marik's smile widened.

"Business my dear Daniel, business." He replied, a teasing note in his voice as he picked up his briefcase.

Daniel shook his head, amused despite himself.

"Right. I'll set something up, keep checking your e-mails. I assume they're secure?" he asked, feeling like he was in a bad spy movie.

Marik reached into his jacket and extracted a small rectangle of card. Daniel raised an entertained eyebrow, his lips twitching.

"Business cards Marik?" he asked as he took the little item.

The blonde smirked.

"I told you I'm good." He said smugly. "That's my 'work' e-mail, more secure than Fort Knox."

"Are you sure?" Daniel asked dubiously.

"Utterly." Marik replied flatly.

The brunettes face broke out into a wide smile. He held out a hand and the other grasped it firmly.

"We'll be in contact." He said. Marik laughed.

"_Now_ you sound like you're from a bad mafia movie." He mocked. "Next time, tell them to send a better spy hmm?"

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck.

"I'll be studying hard under Professor Bond."

Marik chuckled again and the crooked smile didn't leave his face.

"Until next time." He said, making to leave. His companion did the same.

Daniel grinned.

"Don't call us, we'll call you."

Marik snorted and threw a lazy wave over his shoulder as he left.

* * *

><p>"So? What did you find out?" Jack asked hurriedly as soon as Daniel entered the briefing room. The General was already seated, as were the rest of SG1. Daniel settled himself into a chair.<p>

"Well, it was eye opening, that's for sure." He started. "It seems Marik knows more than we thought."

"Is he a security risk?" Hammond asked, getting straight to the point.

Daniel shook his head.

"I don't think so. He said, and I quote, 'A good information broker knows when to start talking, but a better information broker knows when to keep his mouth shut.'."

Jack snorted.

"I like this guy."

Sam cut across him.

"So that's what he deals in then? Secrets?" she asked.

The archaeologist nodded.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Not really the sort of person we want poking around this place sir."

Hammond sighed.

"True. Did you find anything else Dr. Jackson?"

"I can set up a meeting, if you want." He shrugged. "Marik gave me his 'work' e-mail to contact him with." He said, producing the little card from his pocket.

Jack looked at it amusedly.

"Business cards?"

Daniel grinned.

"That's what I said. He said he told me he was good."

Sam chuckled and studied the card.

"I might be able to get us in for a little snoop if you want sir." She offered.

Daniel frowned.

"Aren't we taking this a little far? We're not the CIA."

Jack shook his head.

"Listen Daniel. I'm not going to tell you how important it is this place stayed a secret, you know that. But I _am_ going to tell you that we shouldn't be taking such risks."

The archaeologist sighed.

"I know. It just feels wrong you know?" he shot the blonde woman a look. "Besides, he said that that account was more secure than Fort Knox, his words not mine."

She shrugged. "Worth a try at least."

Teal'c broke in.

"What is this 'Information broker'?"

Daniel looked at him in surprise.

"It's someone who buys and sells secrets. You know, someone who provides information that's usually hard to get." He explained. "They haven't got a very good reputation. It's kinda… shady." He finished, wincing.

The big man nodded pensively.

"Is it wise to bring such a person to a place such as this?" he asked.

The colonel threw his hands up into the air.

"Exactly. That's _exactly_ what I said." He exclaimed.

Sam looked thoughtful.

"Maybe so, but if he were on _our_ side…"

Jack stilled, then grinned.

"Dirt on Kinsey anyone?" he offered, looking positively evil.

Daniel interrupted before he could go on.

"Like I said, I can set up a meeting if you want me to. When, where and who?"

General Hammond looked pensive for a few moments before pinning him with a look.

"Do it. Take SG1 with you, I'll leave the date and location up to you, but make sure it's secure." He ordered.

The archaeologist nodded firmly.

"Understood."

The General stood up and with a short nod to the team, left the room for his office.

Jack leaned back in his chair and clapped his hands over his face with a groan.

"This is _way_ more trouble than it's worth." He groaned.

Daniel sighed.

"At least make an effort Jack."

The colonel looked though a crack in his fingers and gave him a baleful glare.

"I am. If I wasn't, you'd never get me off the base."

Sam shrugged.

"We'd have just kidnapped you when you tried to go home." She said. Teal'c looked on, amused.

"Gee, _thanks." _Jack grumbled. "I'm really feeling the love here."

The blonde woman clapped him on the shoulder as she stood and made for the door.

"All I can say sir, is _suck it up._" She said as she left, leaving the men by themselves.

Daniel grinned.

"So Jack, you know any nice, militarily secure buildings we can use?"

The colonel let his head thump onto the table top.

"I just wanted to go _fishing._" He mumbled, bemoaning his fate.

* * *

><p><em>End Chapter<em>

_This was oddly difficult to write. Probably because I was bored out of my skull and worrying myself stupid over my A-level results. I'm scared shitless that I will have just missed my grades and I'll have to pay the extra couple of thousand pounds next year when the fees go up. : (_

_Sooo, review and make me feel better!_


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